Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-20
LAKE CHAMPLAIN's SEA SERPENT.
"a dirondack" Murray Tells How IL APP
peared and Gives 1t "A Name.

To the Editor of the Free Press
When any considerable number of truth
full people agree in their testimony touch
ing anything, it naturally receives human
credence That an appearance of strange
and extraordinary character has been seen
in Lake Champlain by many people both
intelligent and truthful cannot be denied.
That this appearance resembled a sea ser
pent or marine monster of some Sort of
such length and tremendous energy and
motion rs to be terrifying was asserted.
That this strange appearance would final
ly be made to so many as to challenge dis
eliminating attention and an intelligent
decision be reached as to what it was,
would easily be believed. Living as do
on bank which commands view of the
lake for many miles have felt that nv
chances were good of eventually seeing
what so many jewellers on the lake had
seen. What | wished for was that the
appeararc e should make itself visible on
a day when the lake was calm, the atmos
phere clear and at a distance nigh enough
for close inspection.
Last Friday, May 10, these conditions
were all realized. Going to my front door
in the morning found many people with
more or less excitement looking at the
lake.
L dShtu a ltdulSlcI OpDOSlle my door
what was the cause of it j.? He replied,
the sea serpent was in the bay" said
"Have you seen him ?" He replied he had
and that he had only just sunk from view
and would soon, probably, reappear
The words were scarcely uttered before
he pointed frantically toward the lake
and said. There he Is there he is ~
and sure enough right in front of me not
two miles away the lake being scarcely
rippled, the air clear rs plate glass | be
held the sea serpent and ! must say that
the spectacle was truly most startling
one.
In my wanderings have CHANGED to see
some strange things and had cause to
note some of the deceits that nature can
practice on the senses | have seen
ships sailing through the clouds with
every sail and spar dscernible, have seen
wild horses, seemingly at pasture, 1000
feet above the prairie on which they fed
In the woods | have heard sounds and
seen appearances in the night time not to
be accounted for, the wierd remembrance
of which haunts me to-day. But | am
free to say that never saw on land or sea
an appearance more startling than | saw
in Burlington bay in front of my house
last Friday morning. The appearance
has been many times described with a fair
degree of accuracy. In length he seemed
at least 100 feet longer than canal boat
would ut that distance. His color was at
times of slaty brown, at others he seemed
to be gistening white like the scales of a
shad. His motion was unduatory and a
kind of quivering through his whole
length characterized him. He moved with
astonishing rapidity toward the north,
and when he was showing the full length
of his appearance he sank from sight
This is plain account of the sea serpent
as saw it, The deceit was perfect. The
coolest observer, the most skeptical would
have been perfectly convinced that his
eyes had beheld marine monster,
| have a field glass of great power,
thinking that he would appear again |
stepped quickly to where it hangs in the
hall and adjusted the lenses for the dis
lance. A lady's hand at the required
range would show its fingers plainly.
The first thought of ncredulity as stood
gazing at it before took my glass arose
from the fact of the exceeding rapidity
with which it was moving. Nobody |
said to myself could ever move through
the water as fast rs that thing is going |
had scarcely reached the verandah again
when the cry ran along the street. There
he is there he is again" And sure enough
there was the serpent once more, white
and sheeny, moving with immense rapidity
with the same peculiar vibratory motion
L brought my glass TO bear upon him in
stantly and the mystery was that instant
solved. The immense sea monster at
once resolved itself into several hundreds
of small birds, of the plover family flying
IN long line which swung up and down
and to the right or left as they flew. The
under side of their wings and breasts was
snowy white; their backs were slaty
brown. When in the long or short curv-
lngs of their flight they were flying at
such an angle as regards the gazer that
the under side of their wings and breasts
were seen the serpent, long and white, APP
peared When they took some slant at
another angle, their backs and uppersde
rI ba
gazer, the white line faded out and the
monster seemed to sink from view. The
quivering and vibratory motions of the
monster were thus explained. The quick
hutter of their little wings, in long line
extended, the gradual swoop up and
down in their flight, made the appearance
perfect. The immense speed of the ser
pent was accounted for, his motion be-
ing the motion of quick winged birds
clearing the air and not of an aquatic
monster rushing through the water.
Ihat this Is true account and perfect
solution of the Champlain sea serpent, the
public may believe, for had not only the
opportunity TO see one sea serpent that
morning but saw three at the same in
slant; one rounding Bluff point. one
about mile out heading to join It, an
other north of Juniper island, and so |
speak with the certainty Of one who
knows whereof he afirms. But the ap-
pearance is most deceitful one and with
the unassisted eye its real nature cannot
be discerned. W. II. II. MURRAY.
The light house keeper on Juniper
island, near which the appearance was
seen, confirms MIR. Murray's theory, with
out knowing the explanation given by
the latter. He says that the supposed sea
serpent was nothing more or less than a
long flock of birds, flying along the sur
face of the lake.
Death of Hon. Henry Lane.